kwaidan-第15部分

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exceedingly　splendid；　was　placed　upon　her　grave。　But　Akinosuke　felt　such

grief　at　her　death　that　he　no　longer　cared　to　live。







Now　when　the　legal　period　of　mourning　was　over；　there　came　to　Raishu；　from

the　Tokoyo　palace；　a　shisha；　or　royal　messenger。　The　shisha　delivered　to

Akinosuke　a　message　of　condolence；　and　then　said　to　him：





〃These　are　the　words　which　our　august　master；　the　King　of　Tokoyo；　commands

that　I　repeat　to　you：　'We　will　now　send　you　back　to　your　own　people　and

country。　As　for　the　seven　children；　they　are　the　grandsons　and

granddaughters　of　the　King；　and　shall　be　fitly　cared　for。　Do　not；

therefore；　allow　you　mind　to　be　troubled　concerning　them。'〃





On　receiving　this　mandate；　Akinosuke　submissively　prepared　for　his

departure。　When　all　his　affairs　had　been　settled；　and　the　ceremony　of

bidding　farewell　to　his　counselors　and　trusted　officials　had　been

concluded；　he　was　escorted　with　much　honor　to　the　port。　There　he　embarked

upon　the　ship　sent　for　him；　and　the　ship　sailed　out　into　the　blue　sea；

under　the　blue　sky；　and　the　shape　of　the　island　of　Raishu　itself　turned

blue；　and　then　turned　grey；　and　then　vanished　forever。。。　And　Akinosuke

suddenly　awoke　　under　the　cedar…tree　in　his　own　garden！





For　a　moment　he　was　stupefied　and　dazed。　But　he　perceived　his　two　friends

still　seated　near　him；　drinking　and　chatting　merrily。　He　stared　at　them

in　a　bewildered　way；　and　cried　aloud；





〃How　strange！〃





〃Akinosuke　must　have　been　dreaming；〃　one　of　them　exclaimed；　with　a　laugh。

〃What　did　you　see；　Akinosuke；　that　was　strange？〃





Then　Akinosuke　told　his　dream；　that　dream　of　three…and…twenty　years'

sojourn　in　the　realm　of　Tokoyo；　in　the　island　of　Raishu；　and　they　were

astonished；　because　he　had　really　slept　for　no　more　than　a　few　minutes。





One　goshi　said：





〃Indeed；　you　saw　strange　things。　We　also　saw　something　strange　while　you

were　napping。　A　little　yellow　butterfly　was　fluttering　over　your　face　for　a

moment　or　two；　and　we　watched　it。　Then　it　alighted　on　the　ground　beside

you；　close　to　the　tree；　and　almost　as　soon　as　it　alighted　there；　a　big；　big

ant　came　out　of　a　hole　and　seized　it　and　pulling　it　down　into　the　hole。

Just　before　you　woke　up；　we　saw　that　very　butterfly　come　out　of　the　hole

again；　and　flutter　over　your　face　as　before。　And　then　it　suddenly

disappeared：　we　do　not　know　where　it　went。〃





〃Perhaps　it　was　Akinosuke's　soul；〃　the　other　goshi　said；　〃certainly　I

thought　I　saw　it　fly　into　his　mouth。。。　But；　even　if　that　butterfly　was

Akinosuke's　soul；　the　fact　would　not　explain　his　dream。〃





〃The　ants　might　explain　it；〃　returned　the　first　speaker。　〃Ants　are　queer

beings　　possibly　goblins。。。　Anyhow；　there　is　a　big　ant's　nest　under　that

cedar…tree。〃。。。





〃Let　us　look！〃　cried　Akinosuke；　greatly　moved　by　this　suggestion。　And　he

went　for　a　spade。











The　ground　about　and　beneath　the　cedar…tree　proved　to　have　been　excavated；

in　a　most　surprising　way；　by　a　prodigious　colony　of　ants。　The　ants　had

furthermore　built　inside　their　excavations；　and　their　tiny　constructions　of

straw；　clay；　and　stems　bore　an　odd　resemblance　to　miniature　towns。　In　the

middle　of　a　structure　considerably　larger　than　the　rest　there　was　a

marvelous　swarming　of　small　ants　around　the　body　of　one　very　big　ant；　which

had　yellowish　wings　and　a　long　black　head。





〃Why；　there　is　the　King　of　my　dream！〃　cried　Akinosuke；　〃and　there　is　the

palace　of　Tokoyo！。。。　How　extraordinary！。。。　Raishu　ought　to　lie　somewhere

southwest　of　it　　to　the　left　of　that　big　root。。。　Yes！　　here　it　is！。。。

How　very　strange！　Now　I　am　sure　that　I　can　find　the　mountain　of　Hanryoko；

and　the　grave　of　the　princess。〃。。。





In　the　wreck　of　the　nest　he　searched　and　searched；　and　at　last　discovered

a　tiny　mound；　on　the　top　of　which　was　fixed　a　water…worn　pebble；　in　shape

resembling　a　Buddhist　monument。　Underneath　it　he　found　　embedded　in　clay

　the　dead　body　of　a　female　ant。









RIKI…BAKA





His　name　was　Riki；　signifying　Strength；　but　the　people　called　him

Riki…the…Simple；　or　Riki…the…Fool；　〃Riki…Baka；〃　because　he　had　been

born　into　perpetual　childhood。　For　the　same　reason　they　were　kind　to　him；

even　when　he　set　a　house　on　fire　by　putting　a　lighted　match　to　a

mosquito…curtain；　and　clapped　his　hands　for　joy　to　see　the　blaze。　At

sixteen　years　he　was　a　tall；　strong　lad；　but　in　mind　he　remained　always　at

the　happy　age　of　two；　and　therefore　continued　to　play　with　very　small

children。　The　bigger　children　of　the　neighborhood；　from　four　to　seven　years

old；　did　not　care　to　play　with　him；　because　he　could　not　learn　their　songs

and　games。　His　favorite　toy　was　a　broomstick；　which　he　used　as　a

hobby…horse；　and　for　hours　at　a　time　he　would　ride　on　that　broomstick；　up

and　down　the　slope　in　front　of　my　house；　with　amazing　peals　of　laughter。

But　at　last　he　became　troublesome　by　reason　of　his　noise；　and　I　had　to　tell

him　that　he　must　find　another　playground。　He　bowed　submissively；　and　then

went　off；　sorrowfully　trailing　his　broomstick　behind　him。　Gentle　at　all

times；　and　perfectly　harmless　if　allowed　no　chance　to　play　with　fire；　he

seldom　gave　anybody　cause　for　complaint。　His　relation　to　the　life　of　our

street　was　scarcely　more　than　that　of　a　dog　or　a　chicken；　and　when　he

finally　disappeared；　I　did　not　miss　him。　Months　and　months　passed　by　before

anything　happened　to　remind　me　of　Riki。





〃What　has　become　of　Riki？〃　I　then　asked　the　old　woodcutter　who　supplies

our　neighborhood　with　fuel。　I　remembered　that　Riki　had　often　helped　him　to

carry　his　bundles。





〃Riki…Baka？〃　answered　the　old　man。　〃Ah；　Riki　is　dead　　poor　fellow！。。。

Yes；　he　died　nearly　a　year　ago；　very　suddenly；　the　doctors　said　that　he　had

some　disease　of　the　brain。　And　there　is　a　strange　story　now　about　that　poor

Riki





〃When　Riki　died；　his　mother　wrote　his　name；　'Riki…Baka；'　in　the　palm　of

his　left　hand；　putting　'Riki'　in　the　Chinese　character；　and　'Baka'　in

kana　（1）。　And　she　repeated　many　prayers　for　him；　prayers　that　he　might　be

reborn　into　some　more　happy　condition。





〃Now；　about　three　months　ago；　in　the　honorable　residence　of　Nanigashi…Sama

（2）；　in　Kojimachi　（3）；　a　boy　was　born　with　characters　on　the　palm　of　his

left　hand；　and　the　characters　were　quite　plain　to　read；　'RIKI…BAKA'！





〃So　the　people　of　that　house　knew　that　the　birth　must　have　happened　in

answer　to　somebody's　prayer；　and　they　caused　inquiry　to　be　made　everywhere。

At　least　a　vegetable…seller　brought　word　to　them　that　there　used　to　be　a

simple　lad；　called　Riki…Baka；　living　in　the　Ushigome　quarter；　and　that　he

had　died　during　the　last　autumn；　and　they　sent　two　men…servants　to　look　for

the　mother　of　Riki。





〃Those　servants　found　the　mother　of　Riki；　and　told　her　what　had　happened；

and　she　was　glad　exceedingly　　for　that　Nanigashi　house　is　a　very　rich　and

famous　house。　But　the　servants　said　that　the　family　of　Nanigashi…Sama　were

very　angry　about　the　word　'Baka'　on　the　child's　hand。　'And　where　is　your

Riki　buried？'　the　servants　asked。　'He　is　buried　in　the　cemetery　of

Zendoji；'　she　told　them。　'Please　to　give　us　some　of　the　clay　of　his　grave；'

they　requested。





〃So　she　went　with　them　to　the　temple　Zendoji；　and　showed　them　Riki's

grave；　and　they　took　some　of　the　grave…clay　away　with　them；　wrapped　up　in　a

furoshiki　＇1＇。。。。　They　gave　Riki's　mother　some　money；　ten　yen。〃。。。　（4）







〃But　what　did　they　want　with　that　clay？〃　I　inquired。





〃Well；〃　the　old　man　answered；　〃you　know　that　it　would　not　do　to　let　the

child　grow　up　with　that　name　on　his　hand。　And　there　is　no　other　means　of

removing　characters　that　come　in　that　way　upon　the　body　of　a　child：　you

must　rub　the　skin　with　clay　taken　from　the　grave　of　the　body　of　the　former

birth。〃。。。









HI…MAWARI





On　the　wooded　hill　behind　the　house　Robert　and　I　are　looking　for

fairy…rings。　Robert　is　eight　years　old；　comely；　and　very　wise；　I　am　a

little　more　than　seven；　and　I　reverence　Robert。　It　is　a　glowing　glorious

August　day；　and　the　warm　air　is　filled　with　sharp　sweet　scents　of　resin。





We　do　not　find　any　fairy…rings；　but　we　find　a　great　many　pine…cones　in　the

high　grass。。。　I　tell　Robert　the　old　Welsh　story　of　the　man　who　went　to

sleep；　unawares；　inside　a　fairy…ring；　and　so　disappeared　for　seven　years；

and　would　never　eat　or　speak　after　his　friends　had　delivered　him　from　the

enchantment。





〃They　eat　nothing　but　the　points　of　needles；　you　know；〃　says　Robert。





〃Who？〃　I　ask。





〃〃Goblins；〃　Robert　answers。





This　revelation　leaves　me　dumb　with　astonishment　and　awe。。。　But　Robert

suddenly　cries　out：





〃There　is　a　Harper！　　he　is　coming　to　the　house！〃





And　down　the　hill　we　run　to　hear　the　harper。。。　But　what　a　harper！　Not　like

the　hoary　minstrels　of　the　picture…books。　A　swarthy；　sturdy；　unkempt

vagabond；　with　black　bold　eyes　under　scowling　black　brows。　More　like　a

bri